Fulham 2 Wolves 0 – Report and pictures

Sessegnon fired home shortly before half time after Mitrovic's shot was saved and the Newcastle loanee doubled the lead in the second half with a 20-yard shot.

Off-colour Wolves spurned a huge chance with five minutes left when Jota ballooned over.

But they created little of note in a defeat which means they've earned just two points from three matches.

Analysis

If Wednesday was a minor blip, then this latest Wolves setback felt far more meaningful.

It wasn't so much the result – only Wolves' fifth defeat of the season – that raised a few concerns, writes Tim Spiers at Craven Cottage.

After all, Fulham are the division's form team and currently enjoying the kind of momentum that managers dream of.

No, it was the limp performance Wolves offered that will raise a few alarm bells among their supporters.

They were well beaten and outfought. They committed sloppy defensive errors, they won desperately few second balls and created next to no clear-cut chances.

It was arguably their most subdued performance of the season and came at an important moment. Nuno will have demanded a reaction from his players after the late setback against Norwich but he just didn't get it.

It needed to be Wolves that set the tone early on. Instead it was Fulham. It needed to be Wolves that made a statement with a big win against a promotion contender. Instead it was Fulham.

The time to panic is not now. In fact this is a time for cool heads, for remembering what Wolves have done so, so well during the course of the season and, also, a time for looking at the league table, which shows that their lead to third place is 10 points.

They have more than enough in their locker to address this form immediately. But address it they must.

Match report

Nuno made two changes to his XI and surprisingly dropped Diogo Jota for the first time this season, with Leo Bonatini coming into the team. As expected Romain Saiss replaced the suspended Ruben Neves.

Fulham, who came into the game on the back of winning eight and drawing three of their previous 11 matches, had former Wolves man Kevin McDonald in their midfield, while dangerman Ryan Sessegnon started on the left wing.

The Cottagers' form has been even better than Wolves' of late and it soon showed. The confident hosts took the game to Nuno's team, making life uncomfortable for them from the off with a high tempo, intense pressing and plenty of tough tackles.

It was a frantic, end to end start to the match – the kind of game Nuno doesn't tend to appreciate, given his penchant for control and composure.

Fulham were soon on top with Coady making a number of important blocks and interceptions, particularly when clearing off the line after Aleksandar Mitrovic had lifted the ball over John Ruddy.

Floyd Ayite also fired just wide and Fulham kept Wolves on the back foot with a series of dangerous crosses and corners.

It was no surprise that the hosts went in 1-0 up at the break – but the manner of the goal was certainly surprising from a Wolves point of view as it was arguably the sloppiest they've conceded all season.

A poor Bennett clearance saw Fulham work the ball to Mitrovic who span Coady and fired low – Ruddy parried the ball but it went straight to Sessegnon who fired in from close range.

It was by no means one-way traffic in the first half. Wolves created a few half chances such as an Alfred N'Diaye piledriver which whistled over, a decent effort from Ivan Cavaleiro which Marcus Bettinelli had to save and a couple of promising moments involving Costa which petered out.

But in general they were second best and sorely lacking the composure of Neves in midfield.

Aside from a Cavaleiro shot which Bettinelli parried it was a quiet start to the second half and Nuno made his move on 63 minutes, with Jota and Morgan Gibbs-White replaced Costa and N'Diaye.

However the changes made little impact. Wolves rarely threatened the Fulham goal, with a woeful Saiss effort their only shot between minutes 50 and 85.

In the meantime Fulham doubled their lead when Mitrovic beat Coady again and drove low and true from 20 yards, beating Ruddy at his near post.

Johansen then curled one inches wide as Fulham threatened to run away with it.

Afobe replaced Saiss as Nuno went four at the back with Coady moving into midfield for the first time this season.

And it was Coady whose pass helped create the golden chance that Wolves were looking for...but they somehow spurned it. Coady released Afobe whose shot was blocked – it came back to him and he teed up Jota who ballooned his shot over the bar when it was easier to score.

That summed up Wolves' day and there was to be no late comeback.

Key moments

13 – The ball breaks for Mitrovic who lifts the ball over Ruddy and Coady clears just ahead of the goal line.

38 – GOAL – Bennett misplaces his clearance, Mitrovic spins Coady and fires low at goal – Ruddy parries into the path of RYAN SESSEGNON who can't miss.

71 – GOAL – ALEKSANDAR MITROVIC drives one from 20 yards and beats Ruddy.

85 – Afobe races through on goal, his shot is blocked but then he tees up Jota who somehow balloons over with the goal gaping from just eight yards.

Teams

Fulham (4-3-3): Bettinelli; Fredericks; Kalas, Ream, Targett; Johansen, McDonald, Cairney (c); Ayite (Ojo, 64), Mitrovic, Sessegnon. Subs: Button, Odoi, Fonte, Norwood, Christie, Kamara.

Goals: Sessegnon (38), Mitrovic (71)

Wolves (3-4-3): John Ruddy; Bennett, Coady (c), Boly; Doherty, N'Diaye (Gibbs-White, 63), Saiss (Afobe, 76), Douglas; Costa (Jota, 63), Bonatini, Cavaleiro. Subs: Norris, Batth, Miranda, Hause.

Goals: sdf

Attendance: 23,510

Referee: P Bankes

League position

1st (73 points from 34 matches)